Posts Categorized: Choice USA Staff
Responding to Teen Pregnancy: Stop the Shame
The current conversation around young mothers is not only stigmatizing, it’s also incredibly insensitive. Campaigns such as #NoTeenPreg, launched by the Candies Foundation, present young mothers as inherently problematic – to themselves, their families, and their communities. The campaign proliferates messages like, “You’re supposed to be changing the world, not changing diapers,” as if teen moms are incapable of influencing positive change. The Candie’s Foundation isn’t the first organization to shame young parents and unfortunately it won’t be the last. As advocacy organizations, we often respond to campaigns like this by explaining that the “real problem” with teen pregnancy is the lack of resources and medically accurate information about sex and sexuality. While I agree that these are often the cause of unintended pregnancies – 80% of teen pregnancies are… Read more »
Looking in the Fun-house Mirror: Decoding Anti-Choice Spin
This post is written by Kate Londen, Choice USA Communications Manager Do you ever look at anti-choice news websites? I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you want to spend a good hour or so hate-clicking on sensationally titled articles out of a masochistic fascination. Reading their take on things is like looking in a fun-house mirror. Abortion causes breast cancer. Planned Parenthood is an abortion mill. Contraception ruins sex. You thought Beyoncé’s super bowl performance was awesome, right? Nope, it turned our children into guinea pigs for “an unfettered, out of control social experiment.” Up is down, down is up. But sometimes news comes down that is unequivocally pro-choice. What do anti-choice news site do then? Spin, baby, spin… and sometimes straight up lie. For example, earlier this month two separate reports were… Read more »
Shabbat
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. It is Friday.* The Holy Day. Jerusalem is buzzing. Everyone has a lot to do and they know the city closes down early. So people are on the streets buying flowers, grocery shopping and running errands in preparation for the sabbath day – Shabbat. Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. The word “Shabbat” comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest. Schools dismiss at noon and at around 2:00 PM shops begin to close down and people begin to meet up with their friends… Read more »
Sexual Health, Reproduction and Family Formation: Rights, Religion and the State
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. This week would not be complete without some commentary about the state of sexual health, reproductive rights and family planning. Below is my quick and dirty report. I received a lot of information. This is not an exhaustive representation of the system but rather consider it a snapshot. Warning: Generally, I try not to compare the US to other places but I just could’t help it this time. I ask for your forgiveness in advance. Abortion: Cons: It is the only medical practice that requires an application and hospital committee approval. Unmarried women… Read more »
Hatikvah
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. The Hope. This is the name of the Israeli national anthem. After today, I am convinced that women and young people are the hope for present peace and future prosperity of Israel and Palestine. Today we met with women working for NGOs in Haifa and members of Knesset, the legislative branch of Israeli government, in Tel Aviv. It was a highly political and emotional day. We began meeting with people from the Women’s Center – Isha L’isha (women to women). Within this one center are five organizations working in different sectors to address… Read more »
Radical Modesty
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. “Sometimes you have to go against the stream for the sake of the stream.” Dr. Dalia Fadila. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Dalia Fadila, and women from the Arab feminist organization called Kayan. These women are the personification of a bridge. Within themselves they bridge Israeli, Arab and Palestinian. They are inextricably tethered to both the modern and traditional. Some are married and mothers while others have chosen to remain without a partner or children, perhaps for now, perhaps forever. While Dalia is highly educated, some of the women from the… Read more »
Aliyah
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. Aliyah: in Arabic means lofty or sublime. In Hebrew means ascending or rising. This evening we dined with colleagues from Haifa and Galilee. The setting is Beit Maha, a beautiful house over 1000 years old in the city of Akko. Before dinner we checked into our hotel and before that we took a tour through Caesarea Port. It has been a long day but an exciting and eventful one. After we landed in Tel Aviv, I couldn’t help but feel hyper aware of myself. Black. Non-religious. Very American with Southern roots. Silly. Independent…. Read more »
Making New Friends for a Progressive Peace Mission
Choice USA Executive Director, Kierra Johnson, will be traveling this week in Israel with the National Council of Jewish Women, Israel Action Network, and a group of progressive women leaders. While there she will be blogging about the experience for ChoiceWords. Making new friends for progressive peace mission. I don’t know if the other delegates would describe this trip in exactly the same way but this is what I’m calling it for now. I am about to embark on an amazing trip with women’s rights leaders from the US. I know exactly zero of them well. So I guess this is a new friends for Kierra mission as well. : ) It is Sunday. I am sitting at the airport. DCA to be exact. It is so quiet here. I am happy… Read more »
Rape is a Reproductive Justice Issue
Rape is a reproductive justice issue. Choice USA is committed to a world where all people have agency over their bodies and relationships and the power, knowledge and tools to exercise that agency. Sexual and reproductive agency begins with the right to decide where, when, how and with whom we should have sex. Nothing takes away this agency more violently than rape. Whether you have been sexually assaulted, witnessed sexual assault, cared for or listened to someone who has been assaulted or are among the millions who hear the rising number of reports of survivors of assault, rape has become a part of our everyday culture. The threat of sexual violence affects the way we experience sex, relationships and even our own bodies. As a survivor of rape, your feelings… Read more »
The Fiscal Cliff: Not Sexy but a Big Problem for your Sex Life
This post is part of a series from Campus Progress There is nothing sexy about the fiscal showdown in Washington. It’s a complicated mess. Despite that, it’s imperative that our Representatives hear from young people, and critical that they see the connection between sexual and reproductive health and the fiscal cliff. The fiscal cliff is more than a witty metaphor. Plummeting over the fiscal ledge will result in enormous cuts in Title X family planning services, benefits from the Affordable Care Act, funding for comprehensive sex education programs, and maternal health programs. And in a political climate where these programs already hang in the balance, we can’t afford to stand this one out. As young people, we already face a lot of unique barriers when it comes to accessing services and living sexually… Read more »
